Sunday, June 26, 2011

What's that smell - It's Africa!

We deplane into a small airport terminal which is like stepping back into time.  Time in the 1930’s.  It smells like it too!  The air on this continent smells like a mix of must, mould, burning garbage and sewage.  I get in a long cue for a VISA along with a couple hundred of other of my fellow passengers.  Only two immigration officers are working and seem to be joking more than working.  After a long wait in line, it is my turn, I don’t even know where I’m staying tonight!  Half my immigration form is empty.  The agent welcomes me to Uganda, takes a digital photo of me, and electronically scans my finger prints.  She doesn’t care about the form I obsessed over, instead throws it into a pile, asks for $50 and stamps my passport.  With a big toothy grin she once again welcomes me to her country.  I pick up my bag at the baggage carousel and start looking for my company contact, who I don’t know.  How hard is it to pick out a white Canadian guy in a crowd of Africans?  Not hard as it seems.  He is standing by the front door of the terminal.  Here we are the minority and stand out!

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